Meg Roussos / The BulletinMark Johnson, 12, stays upright Saturday in the senior calf riding event during the Cowdeo in Madras. The events for the older participants, ages 12 to 14, more closely resembled the events seen on the adult rodeo circuit.

MADRAS — Central Oregon’s smallest cowboys and cowgirls were at the Jefferson County Fair Complex on Saturday, roping and riding in the 46th annual Cowdeo.

Open to kids 5 to 14, the Cowdeo was originally a fundraiser for St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Madras, but since 2003 it has been run by the fair board to support the fairgrounds and various children’s programs in Jefferson County.

Friends, family and curious onlookers filled the indoor arena on Saturday to check out a variety of kid-size rodeo events, from mutton busting — like bull riding, only with sheep — to goat undecorating, in which competitors race across the arena on horseback, dismount and pluck a ribbon tied to a goat’s tail.

Reagan McCabe, 5, of Madras, reported his first attempt at mutton busting was a challenge. He said he stayed on board for maybe 11 seconds, only to have the sheep collapse and roll over him.

No worse for wear, Reagan said he knew what he’d have to do the next time around.

“Pick a bigger sheep,” he said.

Thayne Dickson, 6, of Madras, had similar difficulties, drawing an aggressively bucking sheep that pitched him over the front.

“I stayed on a little bit, but my dad was in the way,” Thayne said, explaining how his ride got off to a bad start when he ran into his father’s arm on the way out of the chute.

Kids 5 and younger had two noncompetitive events to participate in: a race on stick horses and the chicken and rabbit scramble — chase chickens and rabbits around the arena and take home whatever you can catch.

For the older kids, the Cowdeo more closely resembled the events seen on the adult rodeo circuit, with barrel races and calf riding.

At the start of the senior calf riding event, a succession of 12- to 14-year-old riders were quickly thrown to the ground, many barely 20 feet out of the chute.

The string was broken by 13-year-old Mary Olney, of Warm Springs, who stayed atop her bucking calf as it charged to the far side of the arena. With the noise of the crowd rising, Mary lifted herself off the calf, smoothly sliding off its back and landing on both feet.

Unstrapping her chaps behind the chutes, Mary said her dismount was a good end to a good ride.

“It was my time to get off; it was fun,” she said.

Mary said she’s been doing rodeo “since I was a baby,” and won one of her first prizes at the Cowdeo years ago, taking home a belt buckle for mutton busting.

“I love doing this,” she said.

— Reporter: 541-383-0387,

shammers@bendbulletin.com